Disclaimer: you know it, I know it, the owners of ccs know, it. That all rights belong to them, not me. Just borrowing the character, nothing else.

Sorry this one is a short one. But I felt like I just needed to post and there isn't any more I can go with this chapter. So here it is.

What She Needs- respectable intentions

Tomoyo had realized what she had done soon after the word escaped her breath. Shock ran through her body at first, terrified that somehow he managed to have that kind of mind numbing effect on her. Her head still rested on Eriol's shoulder until the song came to its final notes.

With the room deathly silent, Tomoyo finally found herself fully conscious and alert. She wondered if Eriol had done something magical to spellbind her. But why over something as trivial as the ball?

She let it be. He had asked, she had agreed. It was over and done with. She did have to admit that she would have agreed earlier in the night had he kept pursuing her. She moved her body into a straight sitting position and turned to him. "That was lovely. You really are very talented."

"Thank you." Eriol looked at her with a friendly smile before looking at the grandfather clock near by. "It quite late. I think I should be heading out."

Before it could even register in her mind to say something to keep him near, he was up and at the door.

Tomoyo hurriedly joined him and helped him with his coat. "It is very late, are you sure you want to go? Granted Tomoeda isn't the most dangerous city, it still has its fiends."

"I'll be fine Daidouji-san."

He reached for the door handle and she made one last attempt to spend time with him tonight. "Why don't I drive you?"

He smiled at her, and Tomoyo felt her panicked feeling wash away. "I have the rental. I drove tonight remember?"

Tomoyo shrunk back just slightly. She did remember and surrendered. He obviously did not have the same intentions she had for this night.

"So I will pick you up at seven?" Eriol asked, still standing in the doorway.

"No fashionably late entrance? Surely you know that's just my type of thing." She gave him and award winning smile, determined to still come out the victor tonight.

Eriol smirked before adding, "and surely you know that I prefer to be punctual and that is my type of thing. SO I will be here at seven. Goodnight Daidouji-san." He quickly closed the door behind him, leaving that to be the final say of the night and ending any impending protests from the raven.

Tomoyo scoffed and locked the door behind him. She couldn't believe his nerve. And it got on her nerves. She wished she could be mad at him, but she couldn't. She couldn't deny the little piece of her that was back flipping in joy for the night of the ball. She strode up to her bedroom, alone, but not saddened. Instead, she stood tall and proud with fantasies for the night already dancing in her head.

Eriol entered his suite practically glowing. He paid no heed to his mystical creatures that had ambushed him at the door, ranting about their latest food feud.

"Eriol-sama?" Nakaru asked when he simply breezed past her. "How was your evening with Tomoyo-chan?"

Turned away from her to hide his beaming expression, he coolly responded, "San." He received a questioning look from both his companions, though unseen by their master. He pulled of his jacket and spread it out on the bed. "Daidouji-san is clearly not a child anymore Nakaru. She is a grown woman. Please use the proper honorific."

Spinel Sun flew in front of Eriol, planting himself between the door to the bathroom and his master to prevent Eriol from escaping the bombardment of questions to come. "Eriol-sama, would I be correct to assume that Tomoyo-san agreed to attend Madam Chatlier's ball with you?"

The room suddenly seemed twice as bright.

"As a matter of fact Spinel, she did." He smirked only for a moment, but long enough for Spinel to suspect foul play.

"Did she agree on her own accord?" Spinal avoided his master's eyes as he danced around his true question.

However, Eriol was in no mood for beating around the bush. "You mean did I use magic? No Spinel, I did not. Unless fatigue is considered magic. True, she may not have been fully alert, but she knew my question. You know as well as I do that sleep numbs the defenses, leading to answers that are truly desired. She gave me the answer she wanted to give me. I used no tricks."

He quickly sidestepped his flying friend and retreated into the bathroom where he was left alone with his thoughts of her.

'Did you really believe what you said Eriol? Does she really want to go? Or did that little magician in you do something to her?' He quickly splashed his face with the cool water in the sink and looked in the mirror. His mind begged the question again. 'Did I trick her?'

For the first time his felt the piercing effect of his own midnight eyes. Their answer was no.

To be continued

Unsatisfying isn't it? Yeah, it was unsatisfying to write it, but you gotta connect the dots. So this is a line.